New Assembly committee to explore innovative housing construction methods
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
EYES ON THE HOUSING PRIZE
Via Stephen Hobbs…
The California Legislature has tried for years to make home building move faster across the state, but an inadequate supply of housing remains one of the state’s most stubborn issues.
A newly-formed Assembly committee has a new target: Home construction.
“By learning from practitioners, studying what’s working around the world, and further identifying the barriers holding us back, we can chart a path toward modernizing how we build housing in this state,” Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, said in a statement. Wicks is chairing the new Select Committee on Housing Construction Innovation.
The group of 14 legislators plans to hold public meetings this winter and come up with a series of ideas for bills next year.
“We’re never going to end our housing crisis by doing things the same way we’ve always done them,” Assemblymember Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, another member of the committee, said in a statement.
The strategy has precedent. Last year, Wicks explored ways to change how homes are permitted in the state with a group of colleagues. The legislators came up with a variety of proposals, many of which eventually led to new state laws.
“I expect this committee to deliver affordable solutions,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, said in a statement, “highlighting new construction techniques, while continuing to provide opportunities for homebuilders and good-paying jobs for construction workers.”
SCOOP: THIS RACE ISN’T BIG ENOUGH
Via Nicole Nixon…
Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper is backing District Attorney Thien Ho for a Sacramento-area congressional seat, The Bee has learned.
Cooper had been rumored to be considering a run for the open 6th District seat himself. His endorsement puts that speculation to bed and helps Ho consolidate support from local Democratic leaders, including Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty, Councilman Phil Pluckebaum, Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen.
As the county’s top two law enforcement officials, Cooper said he has “an excellent working relationship with Thien.” Both are Democrats.
“When it comes to honoring the rule of law, Thien Ho stands as a model of integrity and courage,” Cooper said in a statement shared exclusively with The Bee. ”As district attorney, he has demonstrated a firm commitment to public safety that is well balanced between justice and accountability — I have no doubt he would bring that same dedication to Congress, fighting every day for the safety, dignity and justice our communities deserve.”
The seat is open after incumbent Rep. Ami Bera, D-Elk Grove, announced he would run in the 3rd District following the passage of Proposition 50, which redrew California’s congressional map. Former state Sen. Richard Pan and Planned Parenthood leader Lauren Babb Tomlinson, both Democrats, are also running for the seat, which has a nine-point Democratic advantage after Prop. 50.
SPEAKING OF RICHARD PAN…
Via Nicole Nixon...
The congressional candidate and architect of California’s strict childhood vaccine laws slammed a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decision to stop recommending the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns.
The shot has for decades been recommended for babies within 24 hours of birth. A CDC panel voted last week to recommend that babies born to mothers who test negative for the virus get the hepatitis B vaccine at two months of age.
“Ending the hepatitis B birth vaccine puts newborns at risk and ignores decades of clear evidence,” Pan, a pediatrician, said in a statement. “The birth dose has reduced infections by 99% and prevented more than 90,000 childhood deaths. Reversing this recommendation will harm children and drive up health care costs for families, insurers, and taxpayers.”
Groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association also opposed the new recommendation, arguing it would put young babies at risk.
Members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee were appointed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, a decades-long vaccine skeptic.
“Parents deserve recommendations grounded in science. When ideology replaces medicine, children suffer. I will continue to stand up for proven vaccines, public health, and accessible, affordable care for every family,” Pan said.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“As a dad, I cannot fathom the pain these families are feeling right now. This was supposed to be a moment of celebration and instead it became a nightmare that has rocked our community to its core. We are and always will be Stockton Strong.”
— Rep. Josh Harder, asking the U.S. House to observe a moment of silence last week to honor the victims of the November 29 killings in Stockton.
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